How to group excel items based on custom rules?

Question

I have a set of data (webmaster tools search queries) which is in excel with the following header:

Query | Impressions | Clicks | Date

Sample go

Answer 1

This small macro assumes your data is in Sheet1 and your rules are in worksheet rules in columns A & B:

Sub catagorize()
    Dim s1 As Worksheet, s2 As Worksheet
    Dim N1 As Long, N2 As Long
    Set s1 = Sheets("Sheet1")
    Set s2 = Sheets("rules")
    N1 = s1.Cells(Rows.Count, "A").End(xlUp).Row
    N2 = s2.Cells(Rows.Count, "A").End(xlUp).Row
    For i = 2 To N1
        v = s1.Cells(i, 1).Value
        For j = 1 To N2
            If InStr(1, v, s2.Cells(j, 1).Value) > 0 Then
                s1.Cells(i, "D").Value = s2.Cells(j, "B").Value
            End If
        Next j
    Next i
End Sub

Answer 2

And for a 3rd option, you could use a custom formula.

I created a table just for categories on a separate sheet, then inserted the following code in a standard module.

Option Explicit

Function CategoryLookup(s_Query As String, Keyword_tbl As Range)
    Dim rngKeywords As Range
    Dim s_foundCategory As String
    Dim b_CategoryExists As Boolean
    b_CategoryExists = False

    For Each rngKeywords In Keyword_tbl
        If InStr(s_Query, rngKeywords.Value) <> 0 Then
            s_foundCategory = rngKeywords.Offset(0, 1).Value
            b_CategoryExists = True
            Exit For
        End If
    Next rngKeywords

    If b_CategoryExists = True Then
        CategoryLookup = s_foundCategory
    Else
        CategoryLookup = "Other"
    End If
End Function

Then in D2 (your category column) insert the following formula (which can then be dragged down)

=CategoryLookup(A2,categories!$A$2:$A$5)

Answer 3

Ok, I changed your sheet a bit....

Supposing all your data was in cells A1:C9, then you had the following table in cells F1:G5

Search_For:    Category:
laptop         Laptop
iphone         Phone
galaxy         Phone
notebook       Laptop

Now, in cell D2, put in the following formula:

=IFERROR(INDEX(G$2:G$5,MATCH(TRUE,ISNUMBER(SEARCH(F$2:F$5,A2)),0)),"other")

And enter it as an array formula Meaning, once you enter it, hit CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER.

You can then drag the formula from cell D2 down and it should give you the desired results (and you can, of course, increase the list in columns F & G as necessary).

Hope this does the trick!!